


Magpie

by emothy



Category: CSI: Las Vegas
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-02
Updated: 2005-08-02
Packaged: 2017-10-04 06:05:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emothy/pseuds/emothy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grissom and Sara discuss a crime-scene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magpie

-

Grissom dictates into a tape recorder while Sara captures the scene on camera.

"-small cluster of objects unlikely to belong to the victim on the coffee table; a women's purse, in use-" he leans down and opens the purse with his free hand "-but containing very little in the way of currency. About ten dollars in change. A charm bracelet of negotiable value, a foil ashtray, unused."

He steps around the table and tilts his head at the new view.

"Four sketching pencils, all sharpened to a point, no sharpener on view. A sewing set including needles, thread and small sewing scissors. Metallic paint in varying shades. Nail polish with a metallic tint."

Grissom stopped abruptly. Sara, ever aware of Grissom's movements, ever in sync with him, turned away from the wall she had been photographing to look at him.

"So, what?" She asked. "He liked to steal random objects belonging to women? He didn't know how to judge when someone would be carrying things of worth and so ended up with... this? He likes shiny things?"

The last one had been sarcasm, a joke. But Grissom smiled.

"Quite possibly." He replied, leaning over the objects again. "The magpie effect. Having an affinity for, and collecting, shiny objects."

"Or he just had kleptomania." Sara said folding her arms. "Surely that's the most likely explanation, and what we should shelve it under."

"Sara," Grissom replied gently, "how often in this town does anything ever fall under the most likely explanation?"

-

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a challenge to include the three following words in the fic:   
> **cluster**, _n_. 1. number of things of the same kind, growing or held together, 2. a group of persons or things close together.  
> **kleptomania**, _n._ a compulsion to steal having no relation to need or the monetary value of the object.  
> **shelve**, _v.t._ 1\. to place on a shelf. 2. to put off or aside; defer. 3. to remove from active use or service. 4. to furnish with shelves.


End file.
